To this day, it still bugs me that more people didn’t give Jodie Foster’s previous directorial outing The Beaver a chance. I can understand why it was shunned, having had the misfortune of being released at the height of star Mel Gibson’s unpopularity, but still. Foster and the film deserved better. Now, she seeks at the very least some box office redemption with Money Monster, a high profile thriller. Debuting earlier today at the Cannes Film Festival, I’ve already seen the movie and can vouch for it as a solid outing by Foster. It doesn’t really break any new ground, but it’s entertaining, which certainly counts for something. You’ll see what I mean later this week, when the flick hits theaters.
The movie is a financial thriller of sorts, set within the world of a hostage situation. Lee Gates (George Clooney) is the host of a stock market tip show called Money Monster. There, he preens for the camera while expounding on sure bets. Then one day, a man named Kyle (Jack O’Connell) comes on set with a gun and a bomb, taking the production hostage. Kyle lost his life savings listening to Lee and now he wants answers. Initially, Lee and his producer Patty (Julia Roberts) are just trying to stay alive, but Kyle’s questions lead them to questions of their own. Soon, they find that they might just have stumbled upon a conspiracy. Foster directs from a script credited to the trio of John DiFiore, Jim Kouf, and Jamie Linden. In addition to the main trio, the cast includes Caitriona Balfe, Christopher Denham, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Meade, Lenny Venito, Dominic West, and more. Cinematography is by Matthew Libatique.
At its best, Money Monster evokes the Occupy Wall Street movement and gives both Clooney and O’Connell some strong material to work with. Foster also emphasizes some of the satirical elements of the script, though she also goes all in on some of the unneeded comedic elements as well. Still, when it’s Clooney doing his thing or O’Connell having understandable rage, things are genuinely compelling. The story itself works, sometimes in spite of the filmmaking choices at hand. That just keeps this from being a great movie, instead just settling for being a good one. It likely will be a crowd pleaser though, so there’s certainly that. Personally, I greatly prefer The Beaver, but that’s me. This one just plays it a […]

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Late last week, the Cannes Film Festival unveiled their lineup at long last. The upcoming 2016 incarnation of the fest looks to be a potentially strong one, with some Cannes favorites returning alongside a whole bunch of possible awards contenders. There’s no guarantees that the festival translates to Oscar, but we almost always can get a contender or two from the group. Whether they can turn into nominees or not is another thing, but the potential is certainly there. You’ll be able to see the full Cannes lineup below, but before that, I’ll be looking over the list for a few films to really look forward to first. Then, you can take a gander at all of the titles set to unspool soon at the fest. Here we go…
From what I can tell, the bigger Academy Award players, assuming the reception over in the South of France warrants it, are Woody Allen’s Cafe Society, Pedro Almodovar’s Julieta, Shane Black’s The Nice Guys, Xavier Dolan’s It’s Only the End of the World, Jodie Foster’s Money Monster, Jeff Nichols’ Loving, Sean Penn’s The Last Face, and Steven Spielberg’s The BFG. The wild card is Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon, but I think it’s less likely than those other ones. Frankly, Nichols seems to be by far in the best spot with his awards bait sounding true life civil rights drama. If there’s one early horse to bet on from this lot, it’s probably that one.

It’s almost over folks. Yes, this penultimate time around I’ll be tackling one of the very biggest of the big eight categories, one of the only two left. This one is arguably the second or third biggest of them all…it’s the Best Actress field. This is really about as prestigious a category as there is ladies and gentlemen, give or take how you stack Picture/Director/Actor. I could go on and on in preparation right now, waxing poetic, but at this point I know how the game works here for everyone. You all mostly just want to see the lists that I do anyhow, so I have no problem obliging you good people there in that particular regard once again. All you have to do is just be patient over the next paragraph or two and you’ll get the goods front and center for your reading pleasure…
I’ll basically just skip burying the lead this time around and just discuss my top ten a bit here now. To me, the best winner of this category so far to date has been Diane Keaton in her iconic performance in Annie Hall. She creates an unforgettable character alongside Woody Allen and wins both your heart and your mind. It’s unquestionably the best winner in this category’s history, at least in my eyes. A classic performance in a classic film. Not far behind is Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry, which I think is not just one of the all time best bits of acting, but somehow an underrated one despite winning Swank her first Oscar. Swank actually has two performances in my top ten (and she’s not the only multiple honoree here, but I’ll get to that in a moment), but this is her crowning achievement. Rounding out the top five we have Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs (who has two performances on my list), Elizabeth Taylor for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Charlize Theron for Monster. They’re all tremendous performances, and they’re joined in an absolutely stacked top ten by the likes of Louise Fletcher for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Vivien Leigh for Gone with the Wind, Natalie Portman for Black Swan, Meryl Streep for Sophie’s Choice, and Swank again for Million Dollar Baby. Besides Swank’s two mentions, Foster also shows up again just outside the top ten for The Accused, while Leigh has one more in […]

HollywoodNews.com: Two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster will be honored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association with their prestigious Cecil B. Demille Award. Announced today by Simon Baker and Kristen Stewart, Foster is the first woman to be awarded with the organization’s highest honor since Barbara Streisand in 2000. Not only is she being rewarded in a year where women are making their marks, she is the youngest recipient since Charlton Heston in 1967.
Foster has been nominated for seven Golden Globe awards in her tenure, most recently with co-star Kate Winslet in Roman Polanski’s Carnage last year. She’s also been nominated for her works in The Brave One (2007), Contact (1997), Nell (1994), The Silence of the Lambs(1991) and The Accused (1988) which she won, and Freaky Friday (1976).

HollywoodNews.com: Entering their sixteenth year, the Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Awards announced today that the Los Angeles Times will be the Presenting Sponsor of this year’s festival and star-studded gala.
“We are very honored and excited to have the Los Angeles Times as our Presenting Sponsor,” said founder and CEO Carlos de Abreu. “The Times is a Hollywood institution, and their support and leadership will help take the festival and awards to the next level.”
The festival, which starts October 18, encompasses five days of screenings at ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood and culminates with the prestigious Hollywood Film Awards Gala on October 22. The event honors cherished stars and up-and-coming talent, and traditionally kicks off the film awards season with the biggest stars and top industry executives in attendance. Times publisher and Tribune Company CEO Eddy Hartenstein will present one of the evening’s special awards, with details to be announced next month.
“The Los Angeles Times is Hollywood’s hometown news source and we have been at the forefront of entertainment coverage since trailblazing filmmakers and producers invented the industry,” said Times Vice President, Film Advertising, Francie Berns. “We’re excited to present the first marquee event of the all-important film awards season and support the creative community.”
“We are very proud to be the first stop of the awards season. In the last nine years, a total of 85 Oscar nominations and 32 Oscars were given to the honorees of the Hollywood Film Awards,” said de Abreu.
The 2011 awards show reached a total TV audience of more than 41 million media impressions, in addition to more than 300 million online and print readers’ impressions.
“In addition, we are very happy to continue to bridge the gap between established Hollywood and emerging filmmakers. Craig Brewer, director of “Footloose,” “Hustle and Flow,” and “Black Snake Moan,” was discovered by the Hollywood Film Festival with the world premiere of his first film, “Poor and Hungry,” added de Abreu.
Aside from celebrating accomplishments on screen, the Hollywood Film Awards established the “Hollywood Gives Back” program to expand and continue highlighting and assisting important local and national charities to raise funds. Over the years, the Hollywood Film Awards has contributed to such charities as the following: The Art of Elysium, Artists For Human Rights, Artists for Peace and Justice, MatchingDonors.com, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the Enough Project, and Variety The Children’s Charity of So. CA, among others.
Further, the Hollywood Film Awards […]

HollywoodNews.com: Artists for Peace and Justice offer exclusive opportunity to dine with Hollywood A-Listers thanks to Hollywood Film Awards’ Hollywood Gives Back(r).
Ten tables up for grabs for star-studded Hollywood Film Awards® with 100% of proceeds benefiting Haiti’s school system through the Academy for Peace and Justice Los Angeles, California. On October 22, 2012,120 individuals will not only have the exclusive privilege of attending the Hollywood Film Awards®, but by attending, they will be making a difference in the future of children in Haiti.
Through the Hollywood Gives Back(r) initiative, the Hollywood Film Awards® have generously donated ten tables to Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ). Purchasers of the 12 seat tables will wine and dine with Hollywood’s A-list crowd, with 100% of the funds raised from table sales contributed for the construction of a new wing at the Academy for Peace and Justice in Port-au-Prince.

“Currently more than half of Haiti’s population is illiterate, but with the Academy for Peace and Justice, we are working to change the statistics,” said Oscar-winning filmmaker and Artists For Peace and Justice Founder, Paul Haggis. “We are so grateful for The Hollywood Film Awards initiative which is an incredibly generous gift that will support both the education system and the country’s future.”
Created to honor excellence in the art of filmmaking, the 16th Annual Hollywood Film Awards® is a prestigious celebration of the motion picture art form. The launch event of Hollywood’s award season, the celebrity-attended Hollywood Film Awards® Gala Ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel is a night of true star-studded glamor.
Director Paul Haggis at 2011 Hollywood Film Awards Gala
Committed to bringing together established Hollywood celebrities and the global creative community, discovering talented emerging filmmakers, and honoring Hollywood’s finest established professionals, The Hollywood Awards® draws more than 1,000 guests. Prior Hollywood Awards events have included stars such as Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Halle Berry, Orlando Bloom, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Glenn Close, Penelope Cruz, Viola Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Colin Farrell, Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster, Jamie Foxx, Richard Gere, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Ron Howard, Janet Jackson, Angelina Jolie, George Lucas, Rachel McAdams, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, Keanu Reeves, Susan Sarandon, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Charlize Theron, John Travolta, Naomi Watts, Michelle Williams, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, among many others.
APJ is an organization dedicated to encouraging peace and social justice, while addressing issues […]

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HollywoodNews.com: Hollywood publicity and marketing executives, producers, studio and network executives, celebrities and press gathered for the International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) 49th Annual Publicists Awards Friday (2/24) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Rove McManus, Australia’s top talk show host and Tonight Show regular emceed the ceremonies.
Julie Andrews and Jodie Foster dedicated the 2012 ICG Publicist Directory to Arlene Ludwig, West Coast Director of Publicity, Motion Pictures, in celebration of her 50th anniversary at The Walt Disney Studios. The dedication struck an emotional chord since Ludwig is recovering from a serious fall that left her partially paralyzed.
In another touching moment, ICG President Steven Poster presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Carol Burnett. “It is my pleasure to present this award to someone I dearly admire and who continues to make me laugh to this day,” he said.
Oscar nominee Gary Oldman presented the Motion Picture Showmanship Award to David Heyman, producer of the Warner Bros. Harry Potter franchise. “This year, we honor the producer of the most successful film franchise of all time,” he said. “We’re delighted to recognize the person responsible for a collection of films that represents the best example of what can be accomplished with creative and smart publicity and promotion.”
David Stapf, President of CBS Television Studios, received the Television Showmanship Award. Josh Charles, of “The Good Wife,” who presented the award, said, “David, who is a former publicist, now heads a studio that broadcasts six of the top 10 drama series on television, including the CSI franchise and “The Good Wife.”
Missi Pyle, one of the stars of “The Artist,” presented the Press Award to Susan King of the Los Angeles Times. “The award this year goes to a reporter who captures the magic of Hollywood in her reporting while demonstrating her understanding and appreciation of its history.”
Oscar nominee Max Von Sydow presented the International Media Award to Elaine Lipworth of the United Kingdom. “The international media, particularly those based in Los Angeles, play an increasingly important role in creating awareness for American-made movies,” Sydow said. “It’s appropriate that we honor them here.”
Tony Angellotti, of the Angellotti Company, received the Les Mason Award, the highest honor paid a union publicist. “The recipient this year plans and executes publicity campaigns for films, filmmakers, production companies, industry events, including the Golden Globes and the Oscars,” said presenter Wendi McLendon-Covey, one of the stars of “Bridesmaids.”
Kali Hawk, of “Bridesmaids,” presented […]

HollywoodNews.com: Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux have officially stepped out for their most public appearance yet together.
The two showed up together at the 25th American Cinematheque Awards Honoring Robert Downey Jr., states RadarOnline.com. Aniston and Theroux posed for photographers at the Beverly Hilton hotel.
Both stars were decked out in black for the event that also had Guy Ritchie, Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster in attendance.
Do you like these two together?
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: It’s rare that you interview a director and one of the things they’d like to talk about is someone else’s film.
Yet when I sat down with Jodie Foster earlier this year to speak with her about “The Beaver,” she eventually asked me if I’d seen her young co-stars – the supremely talented Jennifer Lawrence and Anton Yelchin – in the Sundance winner “Like Crazy.” Foster raved about their performances, and said the film needs to be on people’s radars when it reaches theaters later this year.
Now that we’ve seen the trailer, we understand Foster’s enthusiasm.
Drake Doremus’ relationship drama swirls around two students – one British, one American – who are separated by oceans and paperwork after she’s banned from the States for overstaying her visa. Yelchin plays the lovelorn student alongside Felicity Jones. The picture won the Grand Jury Prize and a Best Actress trophy for Jones at Sundance. It’s currently gearing up for a fall festival run in hopes of drumming up awareness for what looks like a subtle, tender, poetic modern romance.
The trailer is up on Apple’s site. We’ve also embedded it below. “Like Crazy” will open wider on Oct. 28, and something tells me we’ll be tracking its progress through the awards season right here on HollywoodNews.com’s Awards Alley.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG1xzuIwvRk
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